Montreal 2 Ottawa 3 (Bell Centre)
“Leadership is the ability to hide your panic from others”– Anonymous
MONTREAL, QC.– In the All Habs Poll of the Week, we offered you a chance to send Canadiens coach Jacques Martin a message. Overwhelmingly, you told the Canadiens head coach to fix the power-play. As we have observed, coaching can make a major difference in the success with the man advantage (Minnesota and Atlanta are the latest examples).
Some of Martin’s moves defy logic. Tinkering has produced nothing. The Habs find themselves dead last in the league in power-play efficiency having scored three goals in 47 opportunities.
Overlooked in Hamilton, Yannick Weber has three power-play goals and leads AHL defencemen with seven.
The top five NHL teams have at least 15 goals on the power-play. What would similar numbers mean to the Habs?
Clearly the team is having trouble scoring. In the five regulation losses, the Canadiens have scored five goals, total! Can any team expect to win with one goal per game?
While a successful power-play boots production, a failed one has often been followed by an opposition goal providing the turning point for the game. In addition, opposing teams have no fear in taking penalties allowing them to play a more physical game against the Canadiens.
We can assume that a working Habs power-play means increased goal scoring numbers for Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez lessening the pressure on them.
Finding a winger to play with Gomez and Gionta was the second most popular response in the poll. The pair need a winger who can match their skill level and provide a physical presence on the boards. Those requirements are not filled by Tom Pyatt, Mathieu Darche, Travis Moen or Benoit Pouliot.
So far, coach Martin has refused to try Lars Eller or Max Pacioretty on the wing, two of the players in the organization who fill the bill. A fair trial would be five to ten games to allow the trio to develop chemistry.
Instead, Martin went against the expressed wishes of Mike Cammalleri and broke up the Habs top line sending Andrei Kostitsyn to play with Gomez. It’s no secret that Gomez and Gionta enjoy playing together. We also know that Tomas Plekanec has a positive impact on the play of Kostitsyn.
In short, Martin shortcircuited his top line and created an uncomfortable playing environment for each of his top five forwards. Coaching moves smacked of desperation and signaled a coach who was out of ideas. The “leader” was demonstrating his panic in front of millions.
The result was a season low 23 shots and an offense that was in disarray.
Readers, as expressed through the poll, also believe that Martin should spell his older defensemen rotating in Ryan O’Byrne and Alexandre Picard. The struggles of Jaroslav Spacek have been often been noted, but it is Hal Gill who has been a liability recently.
Both veterans can be more effective when they aren’t overtaxed particularly in back-to-back games. In addition, O’Byrne is the only defenseman capable of clearing the front of the net. Opposition coaches have had success sending forwards in the direction of Carey Price to create screens or crash the net.
The final poll option asked coach Martin to instill discipline. It was in short supply on Saturday night as the Canadiens took six minor penalties to only two for Ottawa. Penalty-killing has been a strength for the Habs but time spent short-handed lessens offensive opportunities which is detrimental to a team that has difficulty scoring.
Plus/Minus:
▲ Carey Price was outstanding, not only had to make big saves but also had to contend with Senators in his crease all game long.
▲ Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez both seemed to be working hard but didn’t connect for a goal until reunited in the third period.
▲ Andrei Kostitsyn was another Canadiens player who showed effort including six hits, but without familiar linemates was held off the scoresheet.
▼ Hal Gill and P.K. Subban looked lost. Gill was on the ice for every Senators goal.
▼ Mr. High-and-Wide, Mike Cammalleri is not the same sniper from last year’s playoffs. He only managed one shot-on-goal in 17 minutes of ice-time.
▼ Dustin Boyd, Max Lapierre and Tom Pyatt were a minus-two. Despite his poor performance over the past few games, Lapierre was rewarded with top six shifts in the third period.
The Canadiens are off until Tuesday when they play host to the Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre.
All Habs game stars:
1. Carey Price
2. Brian Gionta
3. Andrei Kostitsyn
Roster notes:
Ryan O’Byrne, Lars Eller and Alexandre Picard were healthy scratches.
(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)
Coaching is a science, not a lottery. Jacques Martin has turned the Canadiens into his attempt at a jackpot. The only thing is that sometimes, when you keep getting the same result, you have to switch up your numbers.
Last night, in the third period, Andrei Kostitsyn was benched for the last 5 minutes. Here is how Martin is trying to protect himself. Not only does he take Kostitsyn out of his comfort zone (Playing with Cammaleri and Plekanec), but he holds him accountable for the team’s effort.
In my experience, it looks like AK46 must have asked Martin to be put back on his line in the final stages of the game, and Coach Martin didn’t appreciate it. Most coaches don’t. But, when you’ve broken up your top line, and are looking to tie up a game in the last few ticks, the idea makes sense. (To everyone except Martin of course.)
Coaching is a science, not an art. It is constantly evolving. A good coach, like a good player, will take criticism and expand on it. Their efforts will be doubled, and their work ethic will become clear. In the case of Coach Martin, since his days in Ottawa, his evolution has dwindled. He has never been the type of coach who can make in-game adjustments that work. His belief that his “system” is the answer will be the Canadiens’ Achilles Heel.
It’s really annoying. Especially when it wasn’t that long ago that the flying line of Plekanec-Kostitsyn-Cammalleri absolutely spun the Senators around in disarray and scored the two big goals to win a similar back-to-back game like this one!
I’d also lump Hamr into the “ye olde pylonic defense that should take a night off every now-and-then” category. Anyone else notice how stiffly he turns to find the puck only to watch it waltz by him? (Like on Grier’s goal in Buffalo or in the 3rd period in Columbus). It’s especially annoying when he’s supposed to hold the blue line to keep the offense going. And doubly-annoying when he’s unable to get back fast enough and leaves Price with the puck and two forecheckers barreling down on him.
The powerplay needs to be taken out back and shot. That or they need to hire a coach specifically for it. Go back to the OLD powerplay and tell Subban to either practice one-timers without telegraphing or how to wrist it (we saw a very successful wrist shot by Mathieu Carle over Gigantor on Friday that was a hard and accurate shot top-corner). Only this team would give up a shorthanded breakaway while on a 5-on-3… Would be nice if Markov could score some too.
Martin has to be held responsible for their poor performance over the pass 5 games. They have to consider themselves lucky to have won 2 of the 5 because they were simply awful. The team did not come up with any counter measures to fight off the hard forechecking of their opponents. Ever since NYI put pressure on their old/aging D-corp with 3 forecheckers, every team has been sending their forecheckers coming down hard.
The team was in total disarray for 5 games and the results show. They played like a team when they won earlier in October but they no longer played with any cohesion. The breaking up of lines did not help.
Personally, I think they should send Eller down to the minor and call up Ryan White to replace either Lapierre, Boyd or Pyatt and call up Pacioretty to play along side Gomez and Gionta, both seemed to be playing better.
Putting Cammalleri at the point on PP was another dubious move. The team needs someone who can blast away but not someone who makes play. Look at the awful 5-on-3 which was neutralized by Cammalleri taking a penalty.
Jm is not part of the solution, he’e part of the problem.Why is he breaking up lines to find one player gor Nomez and Gio. Give Eller a chance mistakes and all.Tom Renney said about Hall, Eberle , and Parjaavi that you can correct mistakes butr don’t kill their creativity.JM doesn’t instill confidence he kills confidence.Part of his mandate is to develop the young guns but make one mistake and your benched. Even the vets make mistakes.
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